Cape Cod &

the Islands

July 19th, 2004

Nearing the Half-Way Point

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Don't forget to send me your own reports, and until next week...

Tight Lines!

Dave Churbuck

Buzzards Bay

Captain Joe LeClair reports:

"Fly fishing and light tackle fishing for Large Striped Bass continues to go well this year into July and during the commercial season. I have been fishing bass that are mixed in with the occasional bluefish so I think the Commercial guys are leaving them alone. We had some really rough weather this week and it made for some great bass fishing. On the days that we could not go offshore for Tuna we caught Stripers "LIKE YOU READ ABOUT". On the rest of the days we went offshore fishing for Bluefin Tuna on the fly and light tackle. We have continued to find them and get hooked up but the larger fish, over 100 lbs. have managed to get away. I think the offshore fishing should be excellent in the next couple weeks and we are starting to see lots of life out there. The number of Mako Sharks is really high and I have also seen very large Thresher sharks around the tuna.

"I have had the opportunity to work closely with Captain George Tougas a mate on the World Cat 33' and he has added a great element to the team. George is versed in the ways of offshore fishing and is totally psyched to chase the larger fish with the fly rods."

Captain Bob Paccia reports:

"We certainly have had a bout of weather during this past week. In between the fog, drizzle, downpours and thunderstorms, we have managed to get out and pick up some decent fish. Good-sized stripers are still prowling the flats even late into the mornings. Blues too, make the drifts exciting, as long as you have plenty of flies on hand. Many of my charters get confused when I suggest that they don’t quickly switch over to wire leaders. I try to explain that if they are really trying to target large stripers, they will fare far better if they stick to mono or even better yet, fluorocarbon tippets. I try to emphasize that most of the really big stripers have seen and avoided plenty of wire over the years or else they would have ended up as table fare during their schoolie years. Generally you will do better to use 60# to 80# fluorocarbon shock “bite” tippets instead of opting for wire. The old live bait and surfcasting rules still apply, “avoid the hardware”.

"Baitfish are still very plentiful throughout our waters. Sand eels, squid, silversides, American eels and even a few small schools of ragged drop-back alewives and blueback herring are hugging the shores. School after school of thousands of baby alewives and baby bunker wash back and forth out of the bays and estuaries. These infants have the urge to venture out beyond the protection of their nursery waters, but the instinct for survival tells them, “Wait, not yet” and well they stay put, as a patrol of predators await their pilgrimage into depths of the sea. Their time will come.

“The Times, They are a Chang’n” or, for those of you who don’t remember the sixties, get ready for some changes both in fishing conditions and in our fishing tactics.

Although the recent relatively cool, overcast, cloudy, drizzly and rainy weather has kept the Buzzards Bay water temperatures running between 63 to 68 degrees, the really hot weather patterns can’t hold off much longer. Once we enter a sustained heat wave or two, the water temperatures will shoot up accordingly. This condition normally sends the larger bass to seek the cool water temperatures either offshore or in the deep drop-offs near-shore.

 This weather and water temperature change along with the hot weather increase in boat traffic will alter the way that savvy and successful anglers will pursue their quarry. Those in the know will fish at night or at least choose early morning or late afternoon fishing hours. This is the time of year that the “casual” fishermen talk about the “Dog Days of Summer” and tell you how all the fish have left the area. These are the same folks who plan their fishing trips after they have had their breakfast. They are the same ones who arrive at the boat ramp at just about the same time as the “real sharpies” are getting off the water.

 Remember, fish’n in the dark ain’t glamorous, however, it is very effective. If you want to catch big fish you have to be there when they are there. So you may be better off hitting McDonalds after you get back from fishing.

  http://www.shore-line.com/"

Falmouth & the Elizabeths

Awgriffith reports:

"Went to the Knob last night and it was fantastic! What a tough place to fish with all the rocks, but very scenic and somewhat productive. All in all we pulled in 3 stripers ranging from 18 to 27" and one bluefish. We were using spinning gear with large poppers and some soft plastics. Certainly worth another shot at this place, possibly when the tides are higher more towards dusk."

The Cape Cod Canal

Bill Downing reports:

"It took a lot of prospectiing, but I picked up a few schoolies around mid west tide on rubber. Otherwise saw no bait or bigger fish. A lot of suspended eelgrass floating through on the first half of the tide but it flushed out as the tide came down.

No commercials seen in the Canal. I don't know if that's a good or bad sign "

The South Side

The bluefish bite is pretty consistent in the rips with fluke underneath (seven fish per angler, 16.5" min.). Brown sharks spotted on the flats of Oregon and Dead Neck but no word from anyone actually chasing them. Stripers? Couple lost schoolies here and there but they're on the periphery of the Sound -- Wasque and Monomoy and the Elizabeths -- inshore action is spotty and I've seen a lot of bored early morning flyrodders working the Wianno Cut to no effect. No solid bonito reports along the Waquoit shore, but that could blow open this week.

Martha's Vineyard

Captain Leslie Smith reports:

"Big news of the week is the arrival and catching of bonito, albeit on the troll, down at the Hooter, a few miles south of Wasque.  This area typically is the first to heat up with hard-tail action, being close to offshore waters.  Lure of choice in past years has been brokenback mackerel swimmers.  Bluefish, and even bass will attack these offerings, so a heavy mono leader is a must, unless you enjoy losing gear.  The commercial bass fleet is hanging out in 30 feet of water just south of the point, with a few boats further south. Lobsterville has continued to do well at night and East Beach had a good run of blues making fun for the beach guys.  Fluke fishing has been excellent with double digit flatties coming from the deep holes in the Sound.  The Monster  Shark Tournament happens this weekend, making Oak Bluffs the place to be to see big fish up on a scale.  ESPN is broadcasting, with camera crews on quite a few of the local boats.  "

Nantucket

Lynne Heyer at Cross Rip Outfitters reports on Monday the 19th:

"It’s a gray day on the Grey Lady today. We had a nice rain last night. I think it’s going to be a slow start to my day. I will jump right into what’s happening. Joe Parisi, Saturday morning fished the Jetties beach area and got into some nice schoolies in the morning. He and Burt then went out yesterday and got into some bigger fish over at the Horse Sheds. If you aren’t familiar with the area the Horse Shed it is across from Brant Point. Horses were kept there in the whaling days to help pull ships into the Harbor. That’s shortened history lesson for the day. I have also had good reports about the Gauls area of Great Point acres of Blues right in close to the beach and big ones. There have been Bass over there too, mostly pre-dawn or running the wash in the day. I haven’t heard much from Eel point this week. Onlt that with the crappy weather that we had the water was pretty churned up. The seas were pretty big too. Even the Bonito didn’t like the bar this past week. Jeff said the water temp. dropped 4 degrees. That will slow down the Bones for a bit. If this weather improves the Bones will be back. They will be hungry and ready to be fed flies and lures. James was out there on Saturday and saw a couple bust but didn’t see ant caught. We need some sun and a little good weather and everybody including the fish will be happy. I almost forgot the best fishing story I heard this week. Two couples were out for the past week and the guys weren’t doing well Striper fishing at all. The ladies went for a walk up the beach somewhere by Wauwinet with no rods and no plugs. Well they came back with about a nice 34” Bass. Seems some nice boat fisherman pulled up and asked the ladies if they would like to have fish for dinner. Whether someone was over limit or just being nice it was a pretty good story."

Bwana reports:

"Bluefishing has been really good. Some bass still in the harbor and the south shore. Have had an east wind the last 2 days so that has stopped the fishing. Supposed to swing around to the west tomorrow so that should help. Great Pt still closed.Good luck"

The Outer Beaches, Chatham & Monomoy

Randy Jones reports:

"Slower tides this week normally mean's slower fishing to some, but not all. Changing your style a little is important when the tides slow to a crawl as the fish change their style too. Some of us LOVE these slower tides, while other's don't. I'll take any tide as long as I have some sun to sight fish for them in the shallows. That's the real deal for most. Something anyone can do on there own. Don't need a guide. I'll even blind cast with these slower tides knowing the fish's holding, feeding and travel lanes while wade fishing the many incredible inshore-offshore Cape Cod area's.

"I'm noticing a few less fish on the flat's which is very common with these slower tides. Tides well start to improve next week and only get better as we get into the first week of August. Boater's still doing great off all of the Outer Cape beach's in 25-80 feet of water. 5-6 inch Sand Lances seem to be doing the trick in either fly or plastics for the spin crew. (sluggos in hot pink, white or natural grayish colors) As always bait is the best way to go if your so inclined. Nothing like the real deal. (Scent, color, action)"

(For additional information, articles, pictures and almost daily fishing reports for the S.E. Cape Cod area please visit Randy's web site at http://www.yankeeangler.com )

Bob Parsons reports:

"Since the weather forecast sounded even better than yesterday, I went out again. I could actually see where I was going when near land. Out on the open water, especially when the wind shifted to out of the south it was still foggy. There is a swell but that is easy enough to handle, although if you fly casting and one tilts the boat on you it can mess up your cast. Today I fished south east of where I fished yesterday by a few miles. Worked a sluggo on 1/2 or 5/8 oz jig head. Eventually found a combination of amount of line out and boat drift/with and without power that started to produce hits. First fish was 34" then I tried to get one on a fly.... 20 min back to the sluggo and a fish within minutes... fly again.. nothing again..... Did this for four fish 30"-34". Tide changed and bite tapered off. Went off to try a different spot... Notice terns heading out into the foggy and returning with small sand eels. So I tried following them and sure enough came accross a large area off birds spread out over bait with random splashes. Tried several variations of sand eels when a thick almost all white version was hit. Small bluefish. Called it quits while I still had the fly."

The North Side

Bob Parsons reports from the rainy part of the week:

"Hemmed and hawed then a bit late dragged out the rain gear and headed for Barnstable Harbor. While there were small craft warnings in the sound the harbor and immediate bay area were fine. Started with a few schoolies on the east bar, water temp 62. Then tried deep drifting a heavy clouser in the channel, lot of work for nothing. Then head out into the bay to fish over the grass beds. This produce a few more schoolies. Back in to horseshoe shoal for a bunch more schoolies. Sure was lonely out there today."